Monkey in the Middle
by CatchingWind
Summary: "My name is Danny Fenton, and I am still 14 almost 100 years after I turned 14..." Transcription of the audio recording found in Reno, Nevada on February 24th, 2298 by Jack L. Stockholm... IMPORTANT NOTICE INSIDE 6/23/13
1. Chapter 1

**This is dedicated to my internet best friend and AMAZING authoress, OwlheadAthena, for giving me the inspiration for this. The quote that inspired this all is the second to last line of actual speech.**

**It's totally epic.**

**And no, I'm not continuing this, so don't ask.**

**Disclaimer: Me no owney.**

_Transcription of the audio recording found in Reno, Nevada on February 24__th__, 2298 by Jack L. Stockholm_

_~Static~_

_~Incoherent sounds~_

_~Click~_

Hello. If you've found this recording, then… I don't know what to say. You may be fascinated, you may be disgusted, you may be unbelieving.

But every word of this is true.

My name is Danny Fenton, and I am still 14 almost 100 years after I turned 14.

_~Silence~_

I know that this is where you're probably thinking 'HA! This kid's a lunatic!' or maybe 'Really? How is that possible?'

Well, I'm not a lunatic, and it is definitely possible.

Exactly 99 years, 7 months, and 24 days ago, I was turned into a half-ghost.

It's possible.

A big enough charge-up of ectoplasm and electricity can do that to you. The electricity shocked me, while the ectoplasm was fused with it, therefore implanting it into my DNA. It's been there since, and it's impossible to remove. Trust me. I've tried dozens of times- some simple, some complex; some I couldn't even feel, some were very painful.

You may have heard of the ghost boy, Danny Phantom. He's old news now; nobody cares about him anymore.

Yeah. He's me.

We're the same person. I'd show you, but-

_~Incoherent sounds~_

_~Screams~_

What the- oh. It's only you.

_~Hiss~_

Glad he's taken care of. Stupid Box Ghost… still bugging me almost 100 years later…

Sorry about that. As I was saying, I'd show you that Phantom and I are the same person, but this is an audio recording.

I don't know what year it is while you're listening to this, but right now it's October 25th, 2103. Tomorrow's my 114 birthday, while I'm still 14.

Not that you'd care…

I'm counting each day until I can be free of this game of Monkey in the Middle- where the players are Earth, the Ghost Zone, and me.

And I'm in the middle.

Counting… counting… interminable pain…

_~Cough~_

Sorry. I zone out like that. When you've lived for so long, you see things that make you crazy…

But I've got no one left for me. Nowhere to go… no one to turn to… what was that old musical that Jazz was always yammering on about? …Uh… Les Miserables, I think it was. Yeah, that. That song… er… "On My Own". Who sang it? Emily… Emma… Eppa… Eponine! Yeah… I'm on my own. Nobody for me.

Vlad was the first to go. Killed in a fire. Idiot should've known better than to mess with Ectoranium and open flame. I never would've gone to him. Maybe on a last resort, but never by my own free will.

Tucker of all people went next. Killed by… oh yeah. Stupid 'Master of Long-Winded Speeches'. Electricity and water don't mix well, kids. As advanced as the world is technology-wise, I'm surprised they haven't made it so that it isn't fatal when they mix.

Uh… who was it… it's been so long, I can't remember anything from those times; sorry about that. Oh yes. It was Mom. Dad was devastated, but he didn't know the real reason why she killed herself. He thought it was just because she was sick of him. But no… it was because of me. She somehow figured out I was half-ghost and was horrified. Shot herself with an ecto-gun.

Nobody died for a while after that, but it was just me, Dad, Jazz, and Sam. All that was left of my loved ones. Yeah, at that time I admitted to Sam I loved her, which turned out well.

Of course, then I wasn't there to protect her.

_~Silence~_

…It's just so hard. Nobody's here to comfort me…

But Skulker got a hold of her. He had a blade at her throat… and killed her right before my eyes… just for the fun of it, decapitated her…

Let's just say Skulker doesn't exist anymore.

Jazz went after Sam. She and like… I dunno, 15 other people got held hostage at the bank. Four of them didn't make it out alive, and one of them was her… bullet to the head…

Of course, Dad went ballistic and killed himself over it. Used a butcher knife to stab himself. Said that she was his favorite, and the next time I saw him, he was bloody and dead. I didn't bother to let anyone know; I just left.

It was only me…

_~Silence~_

I'm just waiting for the day where I can finally die all the way, nothing to hold me back…

I've been wandering around the country for a while now… somewhere around 90 years. Too long… at least ghosts have stopped bothering me. Except for the Box Ghost. He bugs everyone.

People forgot about Phantom, and I was somewhat at peace. They didn't need him. I still transform often, especially for transportation, but they never recognize me unless if they're history buffs.

I've made a few temporary friends, but kept them for only a couple of days. Never for long…

I've got nobody left…

I don't know what happened to my clone, Danielle, but I'm pretty sure with all my luck that she's gone as well. Dunno how, but she's probably gone.

I can check, but I'm positive it'll be futile.

I can't die…

Yeah, some people wish that they can't die, but it's not all that fun living for all eternity. Not fun at all…

_~Silence~_

_~Incoherent sounds~_

Just landed in… Orlando? Or is this San Diego? Eh, who cares? I've gone loopy, being 14 for so long.

You may see me and never know it. Your great-grandchildren may see me and never know it. Their great-grandchildren may see me and never know it.

But if you're listening to this, do some research for me. Find out if there's a way for me to die. Find out if I can become mortal again, to be like you and everybody else surrounding me.

Then find me. Look for me, flying in the sky. Tell me what you found out; everything. I need to know how to die.

Don't share this with anyone. Destroy this, and never tell anyone what I've told you or what you've found out.

I've left other tapes in various places. If you do happen to find another one, give it to somebody you can _trust_.

This information can't be taken lightly.

_~Silence~_

An everlasting break from life… We can dream. And hope, and beg, and slave for this concept.

But I'll never get it…

_~Click~_

_~Static~_

**-CatchingWind**


	2. Chapter 2

**GAR.**

**I hate and love you guys at the same time.**

**18 reviews guys? That's just… phenomenal. I was amazed the next day when I saw the number of reviews just continue to rise… Seriously, I thought that this would get like, I don't know, 3 reviews and that's it. But you guys read and you guys reviewed, so… yeah. I'm continuing it. At least into a two-shot. If I continue it further, it'll depend on if I can get material I can use.**

**So… I'd like to thank… (from last person to first)**

**jeanette9a**

**TigerWolf1103**

**Shadowkatze**

**Blissful-X-Optimism**

**Summer the Wolf**

**Invader Johnny**

**AnonymousSpeaker101**

**Momorulz**

**aslan333**

**Heracelio**

**Dezzi Star**

**WhatNooooI'mNotACONTRACTOR**

**Codiak**

**ColorLikeWhoa**

**ThePurpleSuperCow**

**1valleygirl4**

**OwlheadAthena**

**snape-rules44**

**I'll get around to answering them all eventually! 8} Sorry, I just haven't had much computer time lately.**

**Anyways, a lot of you asked why Danny couldn't die if Vlad did, if Danielle was still around, etc. All of those questions should be answered in this chapter. If you have any others or ones that I forgot, there's two very simple ways to ask me: click on the nifty blue 'Review' button or shoot me a PM!**

**Disclaimer: So… why would you expect me to own Danny Phantom? I'm a teenager, not out of school, not funny at all, so why?**

_Transcription of the audio recording found in Hartford, Connecticut on December 8__th__, 2299 by Emily K. Harding_

_~Static~_

_~Click~_

I talked to Clockwork today.

I had questions, and he answered them as best as he could without ruining the space-time-continuum. Really, they were all speculations as to how I should live now that I'm 115.

Only I'm still fourteen.

Eh, it's hard to explain. It takes years to understand something like this- being a half-ghost, living for all eternity, yada yada yada…

Excuse me for that. But yes, I am half-ghost, and I will be for… well, forever. There's no way I can die, due to the balance of human and ghost DNA in me. It's weird that way. I barely understand it, and I've been around for at least a century.

Like I said before, I talked to Clockwork today.

I asked him my questions. He knew what the answers were instantly, but they were way to complex for me to understand. Even when he put it into simpler words, I still could barely comprehend it.

I was thinking about asking him if I could live in the Ghost Zone, but when I asked him, he told me something along the lines of "Just because the ghosts here don't bother you anymore doesn't mean that they aren't still out to get you," except in Clockwork-talk.

Heh, Clockwork-talk.

My heart dropped when I had heard that. I was really counting on staying there. Ghosts live there forever, so why can't I? I mean, I'm half of one! But apparently, three fourths of the ghosts that live there want to see me dead.

Well, ya know what? That's impossible.

Half-ghosts aren't exactly immortal, he told me. They just can't die. Then he told me I may be 115, but I still have the mind of a fourteen year old. Just for that, I called him Stopwatch **(A/N Well, whaddaya know? An inside joke between Psyche and me! XP)**. He got mad at me, but told me that depending on if you're a stable or unstable half-ghost, you couldn't die.

If you're a stable or unstable half-ghost depends on how you received your ghost powers. Vlad- he is, or was, I should say, my arch-enemy and also half-ghost- is dead. He was an unstable half-ghost, according to Clockwork. Because only his head got the majority of the ectoplasmic electricity, he just got ectoplasm in his system, he didn't become half-dead as well like me. That resulted in him being unstable, which meant that he could become fully human or fully ghost at any given time. Me, on the other hand, I'm a stable half-ghost. My whole body received the blast from the portal, which put ectoplasm in my system, yes, but also half-killed me. It, in fact, would've actually killed me if it hadn't stopped at that exact moment. It's impossible for me to die.

I then asked him if there was anyone left for me to go home to. Especially Danielle. He told me that he didn't know. Then I got mad at him because he was supposed to know everything since he was the Master of Time. He just told me (in a very annoyed tone) that he wasn't allowed to tell me, because that could influence me to do something stupid, thus ending up like me.

My future older self, that is.

_~Silence~_

Well, I guess technically this is the future. I was confused, because I thought when I was 24, I'd be in the clear of not turning into him. He then told me that because I was a stable half-ghost and I would never age physically, there was always the chance that I could someday become him.

Trust me, I really don't want to become him. He's sadistic… evil… Ugh, I'm shivering right now just thinking of him coming back.

Somehow in that clock tower, my thoughts wandered to my family and friends. I asked Clockwork if they had returned as ghosts, because he's part of the High Ghost Council, so he would know these things. He told me that there hadn't been any sign of them yet, which really made me upset. Thankfully, to save his oh-so-powerful ghostly hide, he told me that it sometimes can take centuries for the ghost of a person to appear, due to the fact that they have to go through judgment, evaluation, security and all that. I asked him why in the world it would take centuries and he told me that it was just like grocery stores that wouldn't open up more lanes even when lines reached into the aisles or even airports.

But he said that they should come soon.

That gave me a little bit of hope right there. If I could see them again, I may be at peace and I may be okay with living forever.

But right now, I'm not.

For some strange reason, he asked me if I could deal with a piece of news that could really shock me. I accepted, but I was really unsure about it, because he sounded really serious.

He told me Dan was free.

_~Silence~_

He's out.

I don't know if I can stop him.

Why won't this… this… _hell _I'm living end?

_~Click~_

_~Static~_

**Sorry about that one little piece of language right there. He's depressed, you know?**

**So… better? Worse? Same? So-so? Tell me!**

**-CatchingWind**


	3. Chapter 3

***sighs* I feel really depressed today.**

**Good thing that I have this little thing to turn to!**

**Thanks to **Stella Cadens, Del Paradox, Mystic Supernovae, 1valleygirl4, Lyssie212, AnonymousSpeaker101, Dezzi Star, Hopefully Helpful, Heracelio, john, BeingGirl, ThePurpleSuperCow, TigerWolf1103, WhatNooooI'mNotACONTRACTOR, aslan333, **and **Lolxxx**! You guys rock! Unfortunately, I don't since I still haven't even responded to your reviews from the first chapter…**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be here.**

_Transcription of the audio recording found in El Paso, Texas on July 9__th__, 2300 by Jack L. Stockholm and Emily K. Harding_

_~Static~_

_~Click~_

Gotta keep moving… can't stop now…

_~Silence, with some heavy breathing~_

He's out, and he's after me. He's not stopping until he finds me. Even then, he probably won't stop. That's just his nature. But so far he's destroyed half of Europe and almost all of Africa. Started somewhere around Ukraine, and now it's all obliterated. He's working his way to me. He knows I can't leave this country. I'm bound here by certain ghost rules. He, on the other hand, exists out of time. Rules don't apply to him, Ghost Zone or Earth.

He, if you're wondering, is me. Technically, not physically. He is my future self. Although I guess this is the future… Back way back when in the early last century, I was turned half-ghost. This subsequently allowed me to not be able to die, due to the recent information I've received from Clockwork. When my family was blown up in a freak explosion, I went to my arch enemy and asked him to remove my ghost half. Not held down by human emotions, he saw Vlad as purely an enemy and ripped his ghost half out. Yes, the deceased billionaire Vlad Masters was my arch enemy and a half-ghost. But that's beside the point. My alter ego combined with his, creating the sadistic, evil Dan that is currently destroying the world.

Yeah. My life is awesome.

At least my wanderings have a point to them now. I'm searching for my clone- although I call her my cousin- Danielle. I have no clue if she's alive or not, but she should be, due to the fact that she has my DNA in her, making her a stable half-ghost as well. The only thing that would make her die would be her destabilizing or a critical injury. Yes, critical injuries can be fatal to me, but even though I'd die right now for anything, I don't want severe pain inflicted on me. I've always dreamed of dying peacefully, but that'll never happen.

She can join me. Maybe together we can stop him and end his reign of terror. Or I can keep her safe. The only problem is that I can't leave the good ol' USA. So either she needs to come to me or I need to find her quickly.

But I also need to hide from Dan.

_~Silence~ _

Gosh, even saying his name sends shivers up my spine.

But there's a slim chance that I can hide from him. If I can find a good hiding spot- that's not underground, since he can easily turn the ground invisible- then I can survive. Maybe not in the best way, but I'll get away with it. Of course, he'll keep coming after me. He knows that I'm stuck here. He's had plenty of time with the rules, considering he's been stuck in Clockwork's lair for the past century and some years. He's just stalling, freaking me out.

If my loved ones were here, I'd definitely be able to get through this. Heck, even a Fenton Thermos would do me some good…

No, a Fenton Thermos would still hold him well. The Thermos he was in earlier just weakened over time, just like any other object or gadget would.

Unfortunately, those luxuries aren't available to me. Not anymore…

_~Silence~_

I'm sorry to whoever's listening to this. You know, no one's probably gonna find this anyway, due to the fact that he'll have the world demolished in a week.

I just wish this all would end. Just… stop. I'm getting sick of the dread in my heart, the paranoia that's settled in my mind…

I can't take it anymore.

Right about now, if I were a normal teenager, I'd consider committing suicide. Unfortunately, I'm not a normal teenager. I'm a freak.

_~Silence~_

Gotta keep running… before he finds me…

I should be out there, defending the world as best as I can. But no… I'm running away. I'm not a true hero, I'm just… stupid. Lousy. Lame. Bring it on. Bring on any insult you want. I don't care.

I'm running away from the truth.

_~Faint siren-like sounds~_

I just- wait a second.

_~Silence, with the sirens in the background~_

Are those sirens?

Oh gosh. I wonder what for. Probably for something I don't even care about. Or I should, I'm just to cowardly to go and-

_~Sirens stop abruptly~_

What the heck is going on here? I heard a crash of some sorts… Trust me, I know what I hear, thanks to these stupid ghost powers. Of course, I know if you just found this you're freaking out, wondering if I'm a lunatic pulling some sick prank on you. I hope you know how important this is.

_~Incoherent sounds~_

Wait a second… is that…

Oh no. No. This can't be happening.

NO! DON'T D-

_~Incoherent sounds, much like crashing, and some groans~_

_~Silence~_

_~A different voice comes on~_

Hm. Stupid little device.

Hello world.

Or should I say…

_Goodbye._

**Oh ho ho! Can you figure out what happened right there at the end? And there's a point to the people who found the transcripts…**

**-CatchingWind**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, y'all. So, after watching a few DP episodes online, I'm like, 'Who am I trying to fool? I can't stay away.' So now I'm back! WHO'S HAPPEH? XD**

**I'm going to try and tie up a few loose ends with many of my stories and update as much as I can today, even though I feel as sick as a dog. Making sacrifices is part of being a writer.**

**So, without further ado, I bring you an update! 8D With an announcement at the end, but this is a happy one for those of you who like this story! (I DARE you to not scroll down right now XP)**

**Disclaimer: Naw, still don't own.**

_Transcription of the audio recording found in El Paso, Texas on July 11th, 2300 by Jack L. Stockholm and Emily K. Harding_

_~Static~_

_~Click~_

_~Gasp~_

Oh, gosh. He... he left it here...

_~Silence~_

I totally forgot about the fact that he could do that... Heh. That's what happens to you when you're on the run for more than... is it fifty years?

But of course he would know my -

_~Sharp intake of breath~_

Hoo, boy, that one hurt. But yes, he would definitely know my vulnerable spot, since he is me... I should've known he would aim there...

_~Silence~_

I figured it out quite some time ago, but even though half-ghosts cannot die from age or bad wounds or something along those lines, they have a single weak spot somewhere on their body that, if hit right, can be fatal. Usually, it is the place that got hit with the least amount of electrical ectoplasm, but it can be somewhere else. It can be big or small, depending on the person. Vlad, if he were a stable half-ghost, his most likely would've been anywhere that wasn't his head or shoulders, since he never got blasted with the electrical ectoplasm there.

Mine... I'd prefer not to tell...

_~Heavy breathing~_

I will tell you that I... don't have long left.

It's taking so much energy to record this, and it may be short.

... I knew this was how it was going to end for me. Bitterly alone, not peacefully, nobody by my side. There's this nasty ectoplasmic blood stuff coming out of my wound... man he cut deep. I won't give you the gory details, but...

_~Sharp intake of breath~_

It's bad.

Danny Phantom is going to die today, and nobody's going to care. Nobody will worry about the young ghost boy. I don't even know why I'm bothering with this...

nobody will ever find it, I'd suppose...

_~Sigh, then panicked gasping~_

Oh gosh. Oh my gosh.

_~Silence, with heavy breathing~_

... I bid the world a farewell, and good luck in defeating that monster...

_~Silence~_

**Yeah, this is the last chapter, and I bet you that a bunch of you are confused, and you're probably asking me 'Hey, you said he couldn't die!' Well, this was all planned from the beginning. Yeah, cause I'm that kind of person.**

**And things will be cleared up, because I'm planning on making a sort of sequel called **_**Hide and Seek**_**, which will revolve around the two people who were finding the tapes, the history of how the world defeated Dan, and a LOT of theorizing. Unfortunately, that won't be out for a while, not until I get a bunch of my other stories finished. **

**Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, guys, and thanks for reading!**

**-CatchingWind**


	5. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**Hey, world of FanFiction! CW here with an announcement!**

**Obviously, this isn't an update or a new chapter or whatever, but it could be! How, you ask? It's very simple:**

**On my profile, I'm holding a poll: which story should I make a rewrite of? Simple, right? Exactly!**

**I've chosen eight of my favorite/most popular stories that I feel I can improve on, and I'm leaving it up to you, the readers, to decide which one I'll rewrite/continue.**

**Like I said, it's so simple! Just go to my profile, click on the poll at the very top, and vote for this story or another favorite of yours. I'll be keeping close tally of the votes.**

**To make this feel more official, I do have just a few guidelines, but they're not anything, really. Here they are:**

***1* The poll closes on August 31****st****, 2013 (8-31-13). I'm setting this deadline so I'll have time to write it. I want to get the winner up by my birthday, which is 9-20. Just make sure to cast your vote by then!**

***2* I've set the rules so that you can vote for a maximum of two (2) stories. I do this so that you won't complain about not being able to choose. You're welcome. :)**

***3* I don't know if this is possible on these polls, but please vote one time only! I don't want this to be swayed in any way, so vote once.**

***4* You don't necessarily have to vote for this story. Like I said, there are eight (8) choices, and you can pick your favorite(s) of them. I also encourage you to read the ones you're not sure about!**

***5* If a one-shot does win, I will rewrite that one, but I will also rewrite the runner-up oneshot as well, just to make sure that everybody's happy.**

**Anyway, pretty please take the time to vote! I want this to be a birthday treat for me and a fun treat for you guys. Like I said, take the time to read the other options if you'd like, and most importantly, CAST YOUR VOTE(S)!**

**Thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement! As for current stories, especially **_**Exchangeability**_**, I'm working on getting them updated, so stay tuned!**

**Vote for your favorite for the 2013 CW Redux!**

**-CatchingWind**


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